Online learning activities

Online learning activities

While face-to-face learning is back, the chances of COVID-19 disrupting onsite learning is still a possibility. If this happens, it's important that schools have classroom lessons in place that can be delivered digitally.

ReachOut Schools has put together this package of lessons that can be delivered remotely, and includes classroom resources and Wellbeing Fives on popular topic areas such as resilience, study stress and mental health.

We've also created an action pack to help students cope with the challenges they've experienced, and might still experience due to COVID-19, which includes lessons such as Uncertainty during COVID-19Coronavirus (COVID-19) and self-care and Staying socially connected.

As we've learnt, supporting student wellbeing in the online environment can be difficult. Our article Connecting with students while teaching online provides a range of tips for teachers looking to build connections with their students. Other useful articles for teachers include COVID-19 and the whole school community and Teacher wellbeing in a changing environment.

ReachOut has also developed resources for the whole school community. You might also like to share with students our youth collection, Coping during coronavirus (COVID-19), and our article for parents, Supporting your teen during coronavirus.

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Friendship online learning activities

Support students to maintain and strengthen their friendships.

Friendships end and change

Students examine different ways of dealing with changes in friendships and other relationships.

7-12

60 minutes

Social connection during COVID-19

Students learn strategies to remain socially connected in an environment with physical distancing restrictions.

7-12

5 minutes

Gaining confidence to connect

Students assess different ways to connect and engage with others.

7-10

5 minutes

Maintaining friendships when stressed

Assist students as they develop strategies for maintaining healthy relationships when stressed or during tough times.

7-10

5 minutes

The power of bromance

Help students explore how to maintain close relationships when a friend leaves school or the local area.

9-10

11-12

5 minutes

Trying to fit in

Students discuss peer pressure and the concept of fitting in.

7-8

5 minutes

How to have difficult conversations

Through role play, students practise being assertive and explaining how they feel.

7-12

60 minutes

What makes a good friend?

Students examine healthy relationships by developing an understanding of what makes a good friend.

7-8

60 minutes

When friends aren't friendly

Students learn how to recognise when a friendship is toxic, and to develop strategies for dealing with different situations.

7-8

60 minutes

Why friendships are important

Students assess why friends are important for a sense of belonging and connectedness.

7-12

60 minutes

Study stress online learning activities

These resources help students to understand stress and develop strategies for coping with it.

Study stress during COVID-19

This lesson will examine the study stress students can experience due to COVID-19 and investigate ways to manage this stress.

9-10

11-12

60 minutes

Managing exam preparation

Students investigate their strengths and goals to reflect on their study routines.

9-10

11-12

60 minutes

Exam stress management

Students investigate practical strategies to manage exam stress.

9-10

11-12

60 minutes

How to handle fear for the future

Help Year 12 students understand their emotions and how they can use coping strategies to support their needs.

11-12

5 minutes

What's your at-home study style?

Students complete a quiz to determine their at-home study style.

7-12

5 minutes

Three good things

Encourage students to share good things that have happened in their life with other students which can help build relationships and connections.

7-12

5 minutes

Releasing stress

This exercise uses progressive muscle relaxation to help student notice, release and manage muscle tension and feel less stressed.

7-12

5 minutes

I can...

Students need to feel empowered not only to help others, but also to help themselves. This activity gives students the opportunity to role play difficult conversations they may have with friends.

7-12

5 minutes

Easy classroom stretches

Stretching is a simple stress-release activity. Stretching increases the blood flow to muscles, which helps release tension. Students can stretch sitting at their desks or while moving around.

7-12

5 minutes

Mind dump

When we feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to dwell on what we don’t know, instead of celebrating what we do know.

7-12

5 minutes

Goal setting

Goal setting is a great way to focus and motivate. By setting clear and achievable goals, young people can remember the what and the why.

7-12

5 minutes

Social media online learning activities

Teach students about social media and using it responsibly. 

What is social media?

Students learn about social media platforms and the importance of thinking about their terms of service.

7-10

60 minutes

Social media and personal wellbeing

Students examine a scenario to identify activities on social media that could impact on their wellbeing. Students identify strategies they could use to improve their wellbeing.

7-10

60 minutes

Positive uses of social media

Students analyse positive social media trends and outline how they could use social media to create social change.

7-10

60 minutes

Trolling and cyberbullying

Students learn to recognise trolling and cyberbullying and develop strategies to deal with it.

7-10

60 minutes

Boundary setting on social media

Students explore, understand and set their personal boundaries on social media.

7-10

5 minutes

Taming social media use

Students think of ways to manage their social media use.

7-10

5 minutes

Privacy on social media

Students learn about the complexity of privacy on social media.

7-10

5 minutes

Social media is like a tug of war

By applying the metaphor of a tug of war, students engage in discussions of different points of view on social media.

7-10

5 minutes

Online communities

Students investigate the sense of belonging developed through connections made in different online communities.

7-10

5 minutes

The pros and cons of social media

Students evaluate social media using a Venn diagram.

7-10

5 minutes

Upstanders on social media

Students learn how to be an upstander in an online environment.

7-10

5 minutes

Resilience online learning activities

These resources are designed to help students accept challenges and develop growth mindsets. 

Self-care hand

When students learn to look after themselves, it builds their self-confidence and helps them focus more on the positive things in their life. There are some steps students can take to encourage the habit of self-care.

7-12

5 minutes

Acceptance

A helpful way to cope with things that are out of our control is to practise acceptance. Instead of seeing ourselves as victims or our situation as negative, acceptance makes us feel empowered about the things we can do.

7-10

5 minutes

What mindset do you have?

Students complete a quiz to learn about the type of mindset they have.

7-10

5 minutes

‘Ways to chill for cheap’ exercise

Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive. This activity provides students with an opportunity to discuss different low-cost ways to chill out.

7-12

5 minutes

Growth mindsets: Learning to walk

As a class, record and reflect on skills and activities that students have mastered, but that had taken time, effort and patience to achieve.

7-10

5 minutes

Rephrasing for a growth mindset

Students learn to rephrase negative statements into positive thoughts to encourage a growth mindset.

7-10

5 minutes

Using rewards to stay motivated

Students identify one goal they wish to achieve and look at ways to keep motivated to achieve it.

7-10

5 minutes

Mental health online learning activities

These resources help to increase students' mental health literacy and help-seeking. 

'You Can Talk' video discussion

Through analysis of the ‘You can talk’ video, students learn how to respond when they notice a change in a friend.

9-10

5 minutes

PTSD and psychotic disorders

This lesson will examine post-traumatic stress disorder and psychotic disorders, with students discussing the nature of each disorder, their signs and symptoms, and the professional help available.

9-10

60 minutes

Helping a friend you are concerned about

Students practise having conversations to support friends experiencing mental health difficulties.

7-12

5 minutes

Mental health issues

This lesson focuses on helping students to understand mental health issues.

7-12

5 minutes

Supporting a friend with stress

Students learn how to support a friend who is experiencing stress.

7-12

5 minutes

Supporting students' wellbeing online

Articles, tips and services to support students' wellbeing online.

Building connection online

Learn how to maintain and strengthen your relationships with students in an online environment.

Mental health support tips for teachers

Are you a teacher looking for general mental health tips? This information will provide you with some practical classroom ideas.

7 reasons to use our forums

There’s probably over 100 reasons for you to use our forums, but let’s start with seven of them.

Stressed about study during COVID-19?

If school life is overwhelming right now, you’re not alone. Whether you’re learning from home or still attending school, it’s safe to say that coronavirus (COVID-19) is disrupting our plans.